This year’s first lunar eclipse was visible in all parts of the country. While the “super blood blue moon” generated quite a few news items, some of the articles published by many of the leading media houses left a lot to be desired.

The line between science and pseudoscience was blurred; the opinions of astrologers and Ayurveda experts were presented as facts.

It was disconcerting that certain articles used scientific jargon to present blatantly unscientific facts. An NDTV article published on the Food/Home section of its website quoted an Ayurveda expert as saying “because of the absence of light during this day… allows harmful bacteria and germs to enter the food, which may cause a health problem”.

If this proposition was true then we are likely to have health problems on every no-moon day or cloudy day. Though the article mentions that the theory is not yet scientifically proven, it gives more space to an unverified opinion than to scientific facts. The article makes other unscientific claims as well.

Other attempts to use scientific jargon to spread superstition include a notable one by Jaggi Vasudev, who goes by the moniker Sadhguru. An article, titled ‘Why eating food during lunar eclipse is harmful‘, can be found on the blog of Jaggi’s Isha foundation. Recently, its claims made their way to the ‘Lifestyle’ section of a mainstream newspaper.

Sadhguru’s article starts off with two claims which have no basis in science and for which Jaggi provides no justification. The article says: “During lunar eclipses, what would happen in 28 days over a full lunar cycle is happening in a subtle way over the course of two to three hours of the eclipse. In terms of energy, the earth’s energy is mistaking this eclipse as a full cycle of the moon.”

A lunar eclipse happens because the earth’s shadow falls on the moon and not because of any change in the lunar cycle. So his first claim falls flat. The second claim is more vague. He doesn’t detail what he means by “earth’s energy”. This claim also falls flat as it relies on the first incorrect claim for its justification.

His third and fourth claims are even more baffling.

“Certain things happen in the planet where anything that has moved away from its natural condition will deteriorate very fast. This is why while there is no change in raw fruits and vegetables, there is a distinct change in the way cooked food is before and after the eclipse. What was nourishing food turns into poison.”

What “certain things” happen on the planet that lead to deterioration of food? He claims “anything that has moved away from its natural condition” is likely to deteriorate fast. By this logic, all food items that have been processed i.e. sugar, flour, butter etc. are likely to turn into poison.

Unless the poison is removed it is likely that the food items will continue to contain it after the eclipse is over. This claim can be tested scientifically by examining food items after the eclipse.

But, if most of our food items except raw fruits and vegetables turned into poison, then we would have had public health emergencies after each solar or lunar eclipse. If Jaggi seriously believes his claims, then he should call for eliminating all processed food stock in the world in the interest of public health.

The next section of the article expands on the third and fourth claims. The third section ‘Eclipse Effect: The Moon & The Human Body’ makes the claim that the cycles of the moon affect human bodies physically, psychologically and “energy-wise”.

Jaggi makes another claim, that the menstrual cycles of women are affected by the cycles of the moon. He uses this claim as a justification for the previous claim. The myth that the menstrual cycle of women is affected by the cycles of the moon is likely to have originated because the average length of both cycles is around 29 days. However, this myth has now been debunked.

An analysis of 7.5 million menstrual cycles by a team of scientists found no correlation between the lunar phases and the cycle or period start date. The article becomes progressively nonsensical with claims like “This is also happening in a man’s body because your mothers are present in a certain way – not physiologically but in other ways”.

The last section ‘Eclipse Effect: When The Body is Confused’ consists of more vague claims and claims without justifications such as: “When the body is in a confused state, the best thing is to keep it as empty as possible, and as ‘conscious’ as possible.”

It goes on to say: “One of the simplest ways to be conscious is to not eat. Then you will constantly be ‘conscious’ of at least one thing.” This is followed by another claim that not eating makes the body “transparent” and one is able to notice what is happening with one’s “system” much better.

The article ends with a video by NASA that explains how lunar eclipses occur. It appears an attempt to legitimise the unscientific claims presented in the article. The claims are so nonsensical that a debate with any novice scientist would have forced Jaggi to re-examine his beliefs and refrain from publishing the article – which does not in any case appear as an honest mistake by the preachers.

It follows Jaggi’s tried and tested design of using scientific jargon to misrepresent science. Scientifically literate people are not Jaggi’s audience. The article is meant for the “educated” who are familiar with science or scientific jargon but lack the scientific temper.

Don’t be surprised if you receive the article’s claims in your family WhatsApp group when the next eclipse is around.